Is that true that Christians are trying to hide the violent side of Jesus?

Question

Christians are trying to play magic, right. Every time they are confronted with one violent verse, they try to correlate it with "peaceful" verse as if they are interrelated, in fact they talk bout different context. They force one verse to correlate with the others, in fact what they said parallel actually is not related to the others.

Let's see:

Luke 22:36
"But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one."

This verse is a violence, be a snake, be a silent killer

And bear in mind, Jesus never ask people to be a cute dog, a term he uses for the lady at the well.

Please answer..

Veritas 45, what is your explanation?

Veritas 45, what is your explanation?

Veritas 45, what is your explanation?

Answer 1

You don't understand WHY Jesus commanded His disciples to arm themselves, so I can see why you'd be (rightfully) confused.

Matthew 26 records the events surrounding Jesus' arrest, which happened soon after the Luke 22 passage you quoted:

50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?”
Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. 51 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? 54 How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”

John 18:10 records that the one who cut off the servant's ear was the apostle Peter, who went on to deny Jesus three times after His arrest. Jesus knew all these things beforehand, so why would He have TOLD Peter to bear a sword to begin with? The answer lies in the Garden of Gethsemane .......

Jesus is quoted at Matthew 26:41 as telling Peter, John and James that they should "watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." In essense, he was telling the three that their obedience would soon be tested by God, just as Jesus' obedience was being tested by the Father. Jesus was victorious, showing perfect obedience; Peter was not victorious, having used the sword, then denying Jesus three times. James and John were obedient, so it appears Peter didn't pray that God not test him, as Jesus commanded.

In this, we see a perfect illustration between Jesus' nature and our own.

Peace.

Answer 2

What tricky translation is that ? Notice how the words of Christ are given the interpretation of the questioner.

Jesus ran into this problem with the Pharisees, priests and some of His own disciples at times. They were all very immature in their understanding of spiritual things and needed to be converted.

When the mind controlled by selfish principles tries to explain or interpret the spiritual things of God's word, the results will not be in favor of God.

When Jesus spoke of spiritual things, many times they interpreted His meaning literally just as many do today.

Notice what Jesus said about His servants -

John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, THEN WOULD MY SERVANTS FIGHT, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Obviously, then, Jesus could not be talking about a real sword.

Here is another confirmation of this -

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;
2 Corinthians 10:3,4

The verse that explains the type of sword that Jesus is talking about is found here...

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD:

The word of God is the sword that Jesus knew would bring division among people because each individual's choice of how to respond to it would not be the same.

The sword itself or the word of God doesn't actually cause the division.

IT IS THE RESPONSE OF THE HUMAN HEART IN RELATION TO THE WORD THAT CAUSES THE DIVISION.

The words buy and sell also have spiritual meanings explained by other verses as well. But is it really your purpose to understand ?

There is a principle that applies to all the interpretation and reading of the Bible that seems to elude critics of the Bible.

The motive for reading the Bible determines whether one will understand or misunderstand the Bible.

Wrong motives = wrong understanding
Right motives = right understanding

If you are looking to find flaws with Christ or Christians, then you cannot arrive at a correct understanding of the Bible.

Unless there is a sincere desire to know and understand God, the mind with a predisposition against Him will not comprehend spiritual things.

Christ was not violent. If He were, the cross would never have happened and many of us would not be alive.

Show N Tell

Answer 3

Lets look at this passage shall we?
Luke 22:
36He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. 37It is written: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors'[b]; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment."
38The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two swords."
"That is enough," he replied.
Now how many disciples were there? 12. How many swords? 2.
Don't you think Jesus meant he wouldn't be around anymore and people will try and kill them so they need to protect themselves? This was the last supper and right after this they went to the garden where Jesus was arrested. He didn't command them to go kill people! It was for protection-Jesus was not violent at all, "love your neighbor as yourself"

Answer 4

This verse is just before his Passion...if you saw the Passion of the Christ, it is right before the opening in the Agony in the Garden (on the Mount of Olives).

You have to look at the full text, before and after...I can take bits and pieces of what most people saw and skew it to how I want it.

In the next verse it says, " For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me,..." He is saying that in the old Testament part of the Bible (probably Issiah) that it was prophesied that Peter would cut off a man's ear...Jesus heals it. It is all part of the big picture.

Answer 5

Oh please... pulling a single verse out and propping it up as evidence of, well, anything, has no credibility at all.

Jesus is clearly contrasting the peacefulness of their first missionary journey, which took place while he was with them, with what is to come. Here they are, just about to set out to Gethsemane, where they will be violently attacked by a mob, with Jesus taken from them by force, after which he will be tortured and brutally executed.

Do you really think in a circumstance like that, talk of swords is really all that inappropriate?

Please.

Answer 6

35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.

36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

Looks like he was letting his followers know that (since this happens during the Last Supper when he's telling them he will die and such) he won't be around and they should be prepared for what is to come. It was violent times back then, and a sword was a useful tool. He wasn't saying, get a sword and hack everyone to peices, but get a sword to defend yourselves for I am leaving you with nothing but my word until I come again.

Would you send a soldiar into a war zone with nothing to protect him with?

Answer 7

Nah. Jesus was a peaceful man. He was somewhat like ghandi and believed in peaceful protest, according to history anyway. What the Bible says may not be true, since it is also written by historians, the not so qualified ones.

Answer 8

Yes you are right Jesus got angry,he certainly did..and so did his disciples,Paul once got so angry that he grabbed his sword and cut off a mans ear,yes he was really angry. Jesus walked into the temple one day and found people gamling,he got so angry that he started throwing the gamling tables out ,and told them not they were using Gods house as a den of thiefs,yes he was angry..It also says that its a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.....The Bible speaks of anger...Jesus said Be angry But sin not...its a normal thing to feel anger,but you don,t have to sin to be angry...It also says that the words of God is like a two edged sword.....So whats your point?

Answer 9

Actually what is going on here is an attempt to pretend that these are the actual words of Jesus, and not just nonsense that was added later to try to subvert his message.

Christians who try to pretend that the bible is word for word the truth directly from God do a great disservice to the true message that Jesus left for us.

The truth is much of the bible is just nonsense added later by those who just could not stand Jesus' message of universal love and brotherhood.

Love and blessings Don.

Answer 10

You are mistaking violence for justice here, and God is both merciful and just,the kind of justice that seeks to defend the weak and helpless.
would you consider yourself violent if you went to the aid of someone being beaten?
Jesus is speaking here in metaphor and emphasizing the spiritual battle that has begun with His arrest at the hands of the forces of evil.